To determine minimum nurse staffing levels in a freestanding emergency department, first determine the average daily patient census, according to a brief from The Journal of Free Standing Emergency Medicine.
The brief, from Denver, Colo.-based Swedish Southwest ER administrator Curt Johnson, RN, in the journal states it is also a good idea to have a staffing matrix for weekday patient volumes and another for weekend patient volumes.
According to Mr. Johnson, the absolute minimum staffing nurse level, based on Colorado licensure, is two experienced nurses: one to coordinate and one to provide patient care.
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